National Day For Truth and Reconciliation
September 27 , 2026

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation

WHAT

Special Programming in honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
NOTE: This will be a different day at the Science Centre. R05iE and the T.rex film will start at 3 PM

WHEN

September 27 , 2026

Spark will be closed on September 30, 2026 to honour
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

TIME

10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

TICKETS

Included in General Admission

Free admission for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) people.

No ID required. Discount will be applied at the front desk.

Land Acknowledgement

TELUS Spark Science Centre acknowledges it is situated on the Ancestral Lands of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy), and Traditional Lands of the Tsuut’ina First Nation, the Îethka Nakoda First Nation, and more recently the Otipemisiwak Métis. Spark recognizes and supports the depth of science within these Lands, Languages, Stories, and Peoples, that have been caretakers of this land, where the Bow and Elbow rivers meet, their home for thousands of years.

This science centre sits within a natural corridor for trade, migration, and hunting. It leads people, animals, and weather to the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers, a traditional and current gathering place. We are grateful to the peoples who have been caretakers and stewards of this land, allowing us to thrive on this land today, where many cultures and Indigenous people from across Turtle Island, live together in peace and respect.

🧡Join TELUS Spark for a journey towards ReconciliACTION.

On September 27, 2026, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, TELUS Spark will host special programming and offer a safe space to take steps on your own journey towards Reconciliation.

Guided by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s 6 actions of ReconciliACTION, this programming will explore ancestral land, Residential Schools and Indian Day School, the 94 Calls to Action, and reconciliation journeys. In the spirit of reconciliation, programming will be led by Settlers.

Please note that some programming may include sensitive themes about the truths of Residential Schools, Indian Day Schools, and Canadian colonialism.

  • LEARN & UNDERSTAND

Mapping Legacy​

Explore Residential School and Indian Day School locations through Canadian Geographic’s Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada Floor Map.

Explore a 3D model of Old Sun Residential School

Time: 10 AM - 3 PM
Location: Feature Gallery North

Learn More
  • UNDERSTAND

Orange Shirt Pin Workshop

Design a pin to commemorate Phyllis Webstad's Orange Shirt Story and honour all those who went to Residential Schools.

Time: 10 AM - 3 PM
Location: Steven's Lab

  • EXPLORE

REFLECTIONS

How to Steal a Canoe: The story of a young Nishnaabeg woman and an Elder rescuing a canoe from a museum and returning it to the lake it was meant to be in.

Time:
10 AM
10:45 AM
11:30 AM
12:15 PM
1 PM
1:45 PM
2:30 PM

​Location: Feature Gallery South

  • RECOGNIZE

Storybook Nook

Listen to stories from Indigenous authors and illustrators from across Turtle Island.

Time: Every 30 minutes from 10 AM - 3 PM

Location: Creative Kids Museum and Being Human

  • RECOGNIZE

One Sky Project

Experience the captivating world of cultural and Indigenous astronomy with the One Sky Project. This international collaboration explores how the sky connects us all, from ancient stargazers to modern sky-watchers, through short stories that span the globe and time.

Times: between 10 AM - 3 PM
Location: Infinity Dome

Learn more
  • RECOGNIZE

Sacred Defenders

Sacred Defenders of the Universe transforms the 3,000 square-foot Digital Immersion Gallery into a graphic novel universe that follows superheroes of the Four Directions - Aqueous, Embers, Terra and Aireus - as they journey to bring Earth back in balance through the thunderbird, from the excess of ego, represented by the Horned Serpent.

Times: between 10 AM - 4 PM
Location: Digital Immersion Gallery

Learn more
  • TAKE ACTION

ReconciliACTION Forest

What actions do you plan to take on your reconciliation journey?

Write your commitment and tie it to a tree, or program it in a digital tree. Each action adds to the collective forest of reconciliation, showing that together we can create meaningful change.

Time: 10 AM - 3 PM​
Location: Atrium and Brainasium

  • TAKE ACTION

Heart Bears

Purchase a stuffed bear to build for a child who never got one. Put all of your love and good intentions into it. All bears will be an offering at the former site of the Brandon Indian Residential School. Proceeds from bear sales will be donated to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.

Time: 10 AM – 3 PM
Location: Atrium

Learn More
  • RECOGNIZE

T-SHIRT DESIGN

Meet artist Leila Severight, the designer of Spark's staff t-shirt for National Day for Truth & Reconciliation.
Leila is a 22-year-old artist, musician and student, born and raised in Calgary. She is half Saulteaux from Cote First Nation in Saskatchewan and half Okanagan from her father’s family in B.C. Her connection to culture has been shaped by family, traditional ceremonies and her time at RIEL Institute, where she found a deeper sense of community and belonging.

At the heart of Leila’s artwork are the turtle and medicine wheel. The turtle represents truth because it is one of the oldest living creatures on Earth, witnessing creation, remaining unchanged and staying true to itself. The medicine wheel is formed by adults and children holding hands, representing unity not only within the circle, but across all lands: North, East, South and West. Surrounding the turtle, the figures also represent reconciliation and unity across Turtle Island, and the hope of living in harmony and peace within our communities.

Support for Survivors

Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS)

24-hour Crisis Line available for Survivors, families, and communities.

Contact:
📞 1-866-925-4419

Special Programming on September 27th.
Spark is closed on September 30.


🧡 September 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The 6th step of ReconciliACTION is TEACH.

Continue your learnings and pass on what you learn. We are all in this together.

🧡 Next Steps

  • ​Visit the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to learn how to create your own ReconciliACTION Plan.​ Learn More
  • Attend events across Calgary to honour Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Learn More​

🧡 Continue Learning​

🧡What’s happening in Calgary for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

🧡Health Supports for Residential School Survivors

Look to the stars. Discover the stories they carry!

Experience astronomy through Indigenous science, storytelling and cultural connection at Stones, Stories & Stars.

Learn More